Overall instructions:
One of the most important differences between a high school history class and a college history class is the concept of “thinking like a historian.” That means that you do not take things at face value, but look for biases and unspoken assumptions. These might be obvious or subtle, but you must uncover hidden agendas to understand any media you consume—be it the internet, movies, TV, video games or news.
While most people watch movies for entertainment, it has become one of the most common methods for Americans to consume “history.” In this assignment we’re going to move beyond watching a movie for simple entertainment, and analyze what the movie is actually relaying to its viewers. Many people think that historical movies, or movies that cover a specific event in history, are created to purely reflect the historical event. As we’ll see in this exercise, however, movies are actually more reflective of the time in which they are created, rather than the time they portray.
In this assignment, start by picking a film from the approved list and watching it carefully. You will not be able to rely on your memory of the film, so be sure to choose a film that you have easy access to viewing. It is strongly encouraged that you take notes while you are watching the film so that you can fully answer the questions below. You will upload your final analysis to the TurnItIn assignment area in Moodle. note: you can use sources other than the movie to complete your analysis, but they should be properly cited along with the correct citation for the film itself.
Format:
● Font size: 11 pt. or 12 pt. Font
● Font style: pick one easily readable font (Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, New
Courier), not a handwriting style or ornate font
● Margins: top and bottom margins of 1”; right and left margins of 1.25”
● Line spacing: 1.5 or 2.0
● Utilize the CMS Citation Method
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Your “History Film Analysis” should fully answer the following questions:
Synopsis: Things that influenced the making of the movie.
● Who wrote the screenplay? Did they adapt it from a book, a play or did they create it
themselves?
● What roles did historians play in making the movie?
● Did the era in which the film was made impact the way it portrayed history? For example, if it is a movie about war, were they trying to instill or glorify patriotism and duty or were they trying to show the futility and horror of war? Or something else all together?
● What was the director’s approach to portraying history?
● Review the director’s past movies. Do they give any indications of a bias in their work—a tendency to portray history in a particular manner?
Historicity: Put the movie under a historian’s microscope. Be specific. Research
commentaries about the film, as well as reviews about its historical nature. Give
particular attention to the views of historians.
● Provide two examples of history that the film portrayed accurately.
● Provide two examples of history that the film portrayed inaccurately.
● What might have caused the movie’s historical inaccuracies?
Biases: Bias is a particular perspective or viewpoint. It is not wrong to have bias; it does not mean that the film is necessarily inaccurate. What is important is that we realize how biases are represented in the films we consume. It is also important to realize that just because you agree with the point of a movie, or are a fan of the individual (or actor portraying an individual) represented in the film, that does not mean that the movie does not contain an agenda or bias.
● Many major motion pictures create heroes and villains through the plot line. Do you feel that the movie makers created historical inaccuracies by deeming characters as heroes or villains? If so, describe how. Was there an agenda in characterizing a group of people or individuals as heroes or villains?
● Do you recognize any spoken or unspoken biases in the film? Describe.
● Is there any cultural bias in the film? If so, describe.
● Do you see any hidden agendas in the film? If so, describe.
Cinematic Techniques: How the director makes you feel during the film, and how it
influences our understanding of the film’s historical accuracy.
● Is the film shot in black and white or color?
● How does the filmmaker use lighting to convey a mood or to make a symbolic point?
● How is one set of images juxtaposed with another to create an impression?
● What kind of camera angles are used and why?
● What kind of music is used in the movie’s soundtrack? Was it composed specifically for
the film, or are classical or popular pieces used?
Historical Value: Rate the movie—twice!
● First, rate the entertainment value on a scale of 1 to 5 stars (1 being the lowest and 5 the
highest), with an explanation of your entertainment rating.
● Second, rate the film for its historical value. Realize that many movies are entirely
fictional but may carry considerable historical value if they portray a period realistically or
tell a larger truth with their story.
